The Virtuous Beings Essay Example for Free

The Virtuous Beings Essay Modern society glorifies people for much pettier accomplishments when compared to that of the ancient times. During the twenty-first century, a convicted felon may come back after serving a prison sentence and present himself as a figure of perfection. Less than five years ago, a football player, named Michael Vick was arrested and convicted of illegal actions involving the maltreatment of domesticated animals. Shortly after serving his sentence, he was once again beloved by his fans and rewarded with a phenomenal contract which would be worth wild in any corresponding lifetime. Looking at these examples, it’s easy to see how corrupted society is today. In the ancient world, their society was very more virtuous. Because of the different virtues of the time, it took a great deal more to become a public idol to the people. Virtuous figures from the ancient world are Gilgamesh, Abraham, Moses, and Odysseus. Gilgamesh, a seemingly corrupt leader, later embarks on a humbling journey which helps him to discover the true meaning of life; Moses, an honest and patient man, has his true values highlighted as God chooses him to lead his people out of captivity; Abraham, an apparent commonplace man, is presented as a bold individual who is not afraid to prove his allegiance to God; and Odysseus is a prime example of a hero in the ancient world who has his own ups and downs during a dangerous and eventful journey back home to the people he has always loved. When connecting Ma 2 a figure like Gilgamesh to the likes of a movie actor of modern society, it is impossible to ignore the contrast in inherent virtues of the people of the time. As Gilgamesh begins, Gilgamesh is actually quite the opposite of virtuous – he is a lust-driven, oppressive ruler who exercises harsh and immoral will upon his people. However, Gilgamesh’s progression towards becoming a virtuous individual is evident almost immediately as he becomes a companion of his ex-adversary, Enkidu. In fact, Gilgamesh and Enkidu go on to complete several tasks together; tasks that neither of them would have accomplished without one another. Similarly, Gilgamesh again proves his drastic change in character as he rejects Ishtar, a longing prostitute. Although Ishtar promises Gilgamesh a life of pleasure and riches, he responds by asking Ishtar â€Å"†¦how would it go for me? † (Gilgamesh, 24). Gilgamesh is reminding Ishtar that her past lovers had found her â€Å"like a brazier which smoulders in the cold, a backlight which keeps out neither squall of wind nor storm† (Gilgamesh, 24), emphasizing that Ishtar’s previous husbands had all received poor treatment from her. This signifies how much Gilgamesh’s character has changed. If he held the same ethics as before, he would have accepted Ishtar’s offer without hesitation. However, he is becoming a much more virtuous individual with greater concerns than mere self-gratification. Soon, Gilgamesh has even built a nice city for his people, abandoning his glory, wealth, and power to become a better individual. He is no longer self-indulged, and the death of his close friend Enkidu has truly humbled him. On a quest to find the secret to immortality, Gilgamesh realizes that what he should actually be seeking is to become a better king to his people and a more virtuous individual in general. Gilgamesh uses his new wisdom to create a legacy for himself, serving as a prime example that the ancient times required much more from an individual to be certified as virtuous. Ma 3 Similarly, the Bible presents a series of examples which emphasize the difference in modern virtues from the virtues of the ancient world. Specifically, in the book of Genesis, God tells Abraham to â€Å"take his only son, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains† (Genesis 22. 2:3). Proving his undeniable allegiance to God, Abraham leads his only son to the mountain and builds an altar for sacrifice. Right before Abraham was going to strike his son, an angel of the Lord interrupted, telling him not to lay his hands on his son, and then added â€Å"because you have done this, I will indeed bless you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Genesis 22. 16). Because of Abraham’s blatant devotion to the Lord, he is rewarded with a blessing and a promise to make his offspring â€Å"as numerous of the stars of heaven† (Genesis 22. 17). Abraham’s display of loyalty is significant as anyone who would do this in the modern world would certainly be deemed insane rather than allegiant, further emphasizing the difference in virtues today to that of the ancient world. Another example in the Bible may be seen as Moses is chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of virtue. The fact that God chose Moses, an unassuming and ordinary figure of the time, proves that the leaders of the ancient times were not famous, good looking, or wealthy like the leaders of today. In fact, Moses is even described as having a speech impediment. Despite his uncertainty, Moses put everything aside and did what God told him to do and fulfilled his calling to lead the Israelites out of captivity. After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, a close-knit community was formed, and the people and God would agree on a covenant. This covenant was very closely followed and viewed as a necessity to live a virtuous life. Although Christians still live the same covenant with God today, it is much less closely followed than it was during the ancient times. Ma 4 Finally, The Odyssey is another telling example which helps to differentiate the virtues of the ancient times to today. In The Odyssey, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, has been trying to find his way home for twenty years. Ever since the beginning of his trip, Odysseus is introduced as a strong and authoritative figure. However, his journey is filled with temptation, and Odysseus does give in at times. This may be seen when Odysseus chooses to sleep with Circe, despite his yearning to return home to his wife Penelope. This is the complete opposite of a virtuous deed, and it does not go unnoticed. Calypso, a nymph who falls in love with Odysseus, takes note of the disparity among the gods. She is fairly irritated by the fact that male gods may sleep with mortal lovers, while the affairs of the female gods are considered unacceptable, as Calypso describes by saying, â€Å"you hate it when we choose to lie with men† (Odyssey, 281). This emphasizes the double standard among the gods – even in the ancient times, outsiders could see how wrong it was to have a love affair; Calypso is helping to point out the prevalent awareness of equality of the time. Although Odysseus is looked upon as a heroic figure, his immoral actions are highlighted and criticized. In modern society, many public figures would instead have their abrasive actions swept under the rug. After reflecting upon the examples of the ancient world, it becomes clear that there is a wide division between ancient and modern views of what to expect from a human being. In the modern world, simply being wealthy or famous would allow a person to share in the immunity of a God in the ancient world. Today, greed plays a large part in the outcome of everything. Unlike in Gilgamesh, mortality does not change people for the better; instead, people become more self-centered. As a result, today’s society has become just as savage as students read about in books Ma 5 about prehistoric times. Modern life may be compared to a popularity contest, whereas in the ancient world, individuals were required to make names for themselves. It’s no wonder why the people we read about such as Gilgamesh and Moses are viewed as fables or myths; nowadays, only a handful of people may be classified as anything close to their status. In the modern world, these people are praised and worshiped because there are no others quite like them. It should be made a point to try to work toward having a community full of people like Gandhi and Gilgamesh instead of having a society which only looks up to them. This way, society would be able to present a more accurate depiction of a community which aspires to be virtuous.